text:
We are thrilled to announce we have published a new Help hub for IMDb fans, IMDbPro members and Data Contributors. This hub, available at https://help.imdb.com, replaces the help content previously residing on http://www.imdb.com/help/, http://pro.imdb.com/help/ and https://contribute.imdb.com/updates/guide/ and provides streamlined access to the most common customer queries, organized in intuitive themes, with improved navigation and mobile-optimized design. It includes completely new search functionality across IMDbPro, fan and contribution sections. With this update, IMDbPro help content which was previously available only to logged-in IMDbPro members is now available to logged out users and non-members.
The new help site is one of the projects under the umbrella of software upgrades our founder, Col, wrote about here: https://getsatisfaction.com/imdb/topics/upcoming-changes-to-several-imdb-features-du6man1opd5q0
We hope the new hub helps you make the most of your IMDb experience and solve questions you have about our features and services.
We will continue to work on improving our help content, adding more images where this helps to communicate more effectively.
Please feel free to reply on this thread with any feedback or any issues you encounter. We appreciate all your help and dedication to our site.
Old Help experience:
New Help experience:
Hi everyone,
We are thrilled to announce we have published a new Help hub for
IMDb fans, IMDbPro members and Data Contributors.
This hub, available at
replaces the help content previously residing on
by Lina, Official Rep
Joined on January 9, 2013
- - -
You have to register new WWW account for this ??
Message from IMDb.com
We encourage users to help each other get the most out of IMDb.
Often the community provides answers and solutions faster than we can respond directly.
For best results, before posting a question or reporting a problem, please click here.
now goes to
how to report problems ??
EDIT Found it
Update above link in "Message from IMDb" ??
- - -
Message from IMDb.com
For billing/payment issues, visit
goes to
https://help.imdb.com/imdb?creditcardstatement ??
- - -
IMDb Staff is working hard to keep changing things here to keep their jobs
I would have preferred that the submission guides were grouped together as before as submission guides and FAQs are two different types of documentation. But if you prefer to group by topic, you could drop the header 'Submission Guides' in favour of something like 'Other Data'.
Also, under 'Submission Guides', the pages 'Awards', 'Events' and 'Awards data' are listed separately as if they are unconnected. It might be better to group them or list them
closer together. The 'Awards data' link could possibly be dropped as the page is already linked from the main awards guide and is not very helpful on its own.
We will discuss with the data vetting team, to see if we can re-organize some things based on your suggestions.
Would it help if there was a page like an A-Z index of all the data submissions guides?
The Submission Guides: A - Z page is now live on the Help site:
Try the link here: https://help.imdb.com/article/contribution/contribution-information/submission-guides-a-z/GWBAHK9SAM...#
We also renamed the Submission Guides section as "Other Submission Guides": https://help.imdb.com/contribution
We have redirected a finite list of the most popular help links from the old sites (e.g. http://www.imdb.com/help/?adding/, http://www.imdb.com/help/show_leaf?photosremovephoto, http://www.imdb.com/help/show_leaf?addphoto, http://www.imdb.com/help/show_leaf?getsatisfaction, http://pro.imdb.com/help/show_leaf?youraccountcancel ) - as well as ALL data submission guides.
In the process of creating the new help site, we have removed a lot of outdated and redundant content and consolidated many articles, to provide better quality of help articles.
We have also made the tough choice not too redirect all the remaining help articles.
We realize this means that some of your bookmarked help links will now be redirected to the help hub main landing pages, rather than the specific location of the new article. The same applies for some links in GetSatisfaction posts - which means people will have to look through the hub or do a search to find the specific information.
We apologize for this inconvenience, which should lessen in time as bookmarks get updated and the new links are posted on new GetSatisfaction threads.
Is the formatting help still available somewhere? I couldn't find it.
Regarding old help article redirects that ACT_1 pointed out above:
We have redirected a finite list of the most popular help links from the old sites ...
by Lina, Official Rep
- - -
on https://help.imdb.com/ there is
Need more help?
Visit the official IMDb support community powered by GetSatisfaction
You could post a link to this "New IMDb Help hub"
for more information
May be some confusion with redirected pages
Only 55,570 GS Members of the 82,290,000 registered users know about
You could post a link to this "New IMDb Help hub"That's a good idea.
for more information
May be some confusion with redirected pages
Where would you expect to find this in the hub and what terms might you use to search for this?
So we make sure it's easily discoverable.
That's a good idea.
Where would you expect to find this in the hub and what terms might you use to search for this?
So we make sure it's easily discoverable.
by Lina, Official Rep
- - -
IMDb general support
Need more help?
Visit the official IMDb support community powered by GetSatisfaction
"New IMDb Help hub" - Nov 11 2017 - by Lina, Official Rep
add another link ?
Why did you take away the TV listings?
I sent a message to the Help Desk
Contact #17434953
YOU should post Your announcement :
"We have decided to remove the TV Listings Grid for a couple of reasons... "
by Leonard, Official Rep
and a link to This message
at the top of
so others can add comments Here
by ACT_1
Thanks for catching that. I've added a FAQ for list formatting:
This new help hub has offered me no help.
What a shame.
The word 'interfere' is misspelled as 'intefere' here: https://help.imdb.com/article/imdb/general-information/why-do-i-need-to-enter-a-captcha/G2V9QZ39J4J8...#
In the sentence about Breaking Bad on this page you write "An example of can be found". This should of course be "An example can be found": https://help.imdb.com/article/contribution/titles/title-corrections/G7J57QHX9CAN989N?ref_=helpsect_c...#
On the plot page (https://help.imdb.com/article/contribution/titles/plots/G56STCKTK7ESG7CP?ref_=helpart_nav_25#) you state that for all plot types (outlines, summaries and synopses) goes that they must be ones own work. This general point is also listed separately in the summary section. You can remove it there since it is already in the general section.
And yes, I already know the way too long and ugly URL's are for search results and stuff, but that doesn't make them any shorter or prettier :)
Thanks for flagging these errors. I've corrected the three pages and the updates should be reflected now.
We appreciate your feedback regarding the length of the URLs. I've passed it onto the correct team to consider.
Let us know if you find any other errors or have additional feedback.
On the plot page (https://help.imdb.com/article/contribution/titles/plots/G56STCKTK7ESG7CP?ref_=helpart_nav_25#)
And yes, I already know the way too long and ugly URL's are for search results and stuff, but that doesn't make them any shorter or prettier :)
by Marco
Joined on February 8, 2017
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We appreciate your feedback regarding the length of the URLs.
I've passed it onto the correct team to consider.
by Ava, Official Rep
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Why do WE need all this ____ in a messase link ?
https:// getsatisfaction.com/imdb/topics/new-imdb-help-hub-6fxihx3ry4fgd?topic-reply-list%5Bsettings%5D%5Bfilter_by%5D=all&topic-reply-list%5Bsettings%5D%5Breply_id%5D=19102543#reply_19102543
Old Boards Links looked like:
Board Number
Thread (Original Message) Number
Reply to Original Message Number
Reply to Reply Number
User Profiles are just
If you changed your name the Number was the same
- - -
WE do not need to post the Ref part in a message here - that is for IMDb tracking
Thanks for flagging this. I've pinged the data team to review your suggestion.
Thanks for the suggestion, the Companies data page has been updated now to include:
- Production companies
- Distribution companies
- Visual Effects companies
- Miscellaneous companies
- Sales Agents
Though, I believe the old link now correctly re-directs here.
Also, this page: https://help.imdb.com/article/imdb/track-movies-tv/user-review-guidelines/GABTWSNLDNFLPRRH?ref_=help...# opens with the maximum number of words for a review, then goes on to the average number of words and for the minimum, it suddenly talks about lines instead of words. I think it would be more consistent to also name a minimum number of words for a review. Also, lines is more vague than words because depending on the device a user uses, the number of lines differs.
I've passed this onto the correct team to help with redirecting the "Guidelines" links to the correct article. I'll let you know when this is updated.
We appreciate your feedback regarding this. I've tested this out and when reviewing on a mobile device, you'll need to switch to the "Desktop version". Viewing on the "Desktop Version" will match the same format of the Desktop site, so it won't change the number of words/lines required, so the reviews written through a mobile device won't be shorter than those written on a desktop or laptop.
I've tested this out and when reviewing on a mobile device, you'll need to switch to the "Desktop version". Viewing on the "Desktop Version" will match the same format of the Desktop site, so it won't change the number of words/lines required, so the reviews written through a mobile device won't be shorter than those written on a desktop or laptop.Thanks for testing, but it's still not very consistent to speak of words for the maximum number, words for the average and change to lines for the minimum. It's no biggie of course, but I feel it can be better than it currently is.
I agree and we definitely want to make sure our Help Content is clear and easy to read.
I've updated the intro for the article here:
Let me know if you have any additional feedback.
Thanks for the suggestion, I'll look into this and get back to you soon.
The Lists FAQ for "How can I move list items without drag and drop?"
is horrible advice. Here's what's wrong:
On the list you want to reorder, click the 3 vertical dots and select "Edit" from the menu. Once the page loads, replace the position numbers of those items in the desired order
and select "Done" and then select "Save" when the pop up window is displayed.
For example, to move an item that is currently at #5 in the list order to #1, replace the number 5 with the number 1.While the directions are "accurate", they send you OUT of list Edit mode. For people who want to change multiple titles, but want to do them one (or a few) at a time, this is a lot of extra time wasted. You provided a better mechanism; you should refer to it.
Click "Done" at the top of the screen, then "Save". The page will refresh with the new order.
Instead, after entering the new position number, I would advise:
'Click "SAVE LIST ORDER" and the page will refresh with the new order.'
If the user wants to exit, they can find the Done button on their own (or just leave Edit mode).
Thanks for your feedback and edits on this. I've updated the Help page:
with the updated instructions for reordering lists.
needs work.
First sentence has a grammatical error ("Check-ins are a feature" has mismatched plural/singular).
Under How do I check-in?
On the desktop version, I would not describe the Share link as being in the upper right of the page. I'd say it's to the right and slightly above the title. The upper right of the page has the facebook/twitter/instagram icons to follow IMDb.
You can also add a title to Check-ins by hovering over the Add to Watchlist icon, waiting for the dropdown list of lists...
Under How Do I Access my List of Check-ins?
It's not on the Your Lists page any more.
I found it on Your Activity, or by clicking the double right-arrow in the Add to Watchlist dropdown.
Being on the Yours Lists page is state again elsewhere.
Under How do I reorder my list?
It says you can't. But you can now. You also have the option to make them private, which contradicts an earlier statement on the page.
Under How do I get my list to show up in one of the tagged sections, like "Horror"?
I don't know what a tagged section is. Is this something we lost on Dec 6?
There may be other problems; I got tired of reading it. I went there to learn what Check-ins were. Seems like it's just another list, but one you assign to every account. <shrug>
I would say Check-ins is a feature, and bees are insects, or a bee is an insect, but not what you wrote.
But it's entirely possible that I'm being (not bee-ing) old-fashioned. I can't find an online grammar checker that objects to your bee sentence. But it makes me wince.
Check-ins, in this context, is the name of a list, a singular thing. It is a feature of the IMDb site.
If the sentence meant the collection of titles on the list, the plural noun would be apt. E.g., Check-ins are titles you want to share...
It's really not critical. The inaccurate How-to's and Where-to's are more important (but still not critical in the grand scheme of things.)
BTW, I might say "bricks are a construction material." I don't want to think about why I find that different than bees. Covered in bees. Ahhhhhh. (that was a small scream)
And doesn't this exchange go inside out if we talk about British grammar instead?
On the page of them:
But on the dropdown, and on the help page linked above:
Teletubbies was a TV show.
Teletubbies (seemingly plural, but actually a name of a thing) was (singular) a TV show (also singular).
BTW, back on the help page, the opening question was
What are check-ins?
They are a feature?
If it's correct, then blech on technical correctness.
Covered in bees.
Note: I'm yet not entirely sure what, in detail, a Teletubbie (or a Teletubby) is :P
(Also, maybe no member of the Teletubbies is ever referred to in singular form outside of pronouns or by name.)
Look for instance at the links in the Submission guide overview or in the Miscellaneous companies page.
The pages may have been consolidated into the Companies data page, but this page also has the dead links.
Thanks for highlighting these, they have now been amended.
Your mini-bio is not long enough - the minimum length for mini-bios is 50 words. Please see the guidelines." But if you go to the guide (https://help.imdb.com/article/contribution/names-biographical-data/biographical-data-guidelines/GMT9...), it doesn't say anything about the minimum length. Can you add this requirement to the guide please?
This has been done and is already live.
(and while I'm into tiny details, there's also a link to the "own section" of the awards where the last parenthesis and the dot at the end of the sentence are blue instead of black. Can you change this as well?)
This has been updated.
This is despite the fact that the Title Correction guide here has been updated to include current links.
One more thing, in the line, "General title formatting rules (how to distinguish between TV titles, videogames, movies, etc.) are here," the currently linked page is actually called Submitting a Video Game. I guess the title formatting rules are actually in the Title Formatting page, which is already linked in the preceding line.
Thanks for calling these problems out.
I've updated the in contribution help for Title Corrections now, the links have also been slightly changed for the title formatting rules to send you to the same title formatting page.
Today it describes the clue action as follows:
"please re-rate at least one of the titles associated with the badge".
OK, may be I was a kind of over-geek to re-rate this way: unrate then rate again...
but my action was in the frame of the "re-rate" instruction.
The "step by step" practice:
- Badges for all the years, except 2018, are in my pocket;
- All the titles are previously rated to be for 2018;
- Unrate "2001: A Space Odyssey", then rate it the same value;
- Only 2017 and 2010 badges remain (all the rest "odysseyed to open space");
- Unrate "Shawshank Redemption" (it was in all the tops), then rate it the same value;
- All the badges here again, except the 2018;
- Stop mission, don't need any more (result);
- After some time: other people may need (idea);
- Open 2018 Top 250 and re-rate another way: just click on the same rated star for a title;
- Repeat the previous action on each page of 2018 Top 250 (this may be not necessary);
- All badges in the pocket, including the before-missed 2018.
The "re-rate" action must be explained better in the help, to avoid misunderstandings.
Please reference the new conversation here: Feedback - Badge Missing Help
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text:
May 1, 2006
The Honorable Condoleezza Rice
Secretary of State
United States Department of State
Washington, DC 20520
Dear Secretary Rice:
As required by the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (IRFA), the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom has assessed the facts and circumstances regarding violations of religious freedom around the world. Pursuant to our review, we recommend that you designate the following 11 countries as countries of particular concern, or CPCs:Burma, Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea), Eritrea, Iran, Pakistan, People's Republic of China, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan,andVietnam.
In IRFA, Congress codified the critical importance of freedom of religion or belief and also made the promotion of this freedom a matter of U.S. law. Congress created the Commission to ensure that the promotion of this fundamental freedom and other freedoms throughout the world would remain an integral part of U.S. foreign policy.
One of the Commission's chief responsibilities in the process of promoting religious freedom as required by IRFA is to draw your attention to those countries whose governments have engaged in or tolerated systematic and egregious violations of religious freedom and recommend that they be designated as CPCs. The designation of CPCs not only puts a spotlight on those countries where the most severe violations take place, but also lays the groundwork for important decisions in U.S. relations with these countries.
The situations in Afghanistan and Iraq demonstrate that freedom of conscience goes to the heart of our foreign policy goals. In these two countries, where the United States is directly engaged in political reconstruction, the universal right to religious freedom is imperiled. Only two months ago, a man faced execution in Afghanistan for exercising his right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion or belief. Charged with the "crime" of changing his religion, the case against him was eventually dismissed with your urging, but concerns about his personal safety meant that he could no longer stay in Afghanistan. A few months before, an Afghan journalist who is also a Muslim scholar was imprisoned and threatened with death after being found guilty of blasphemy. His purported "crime" was to question the strict interpretation of some tenets of the majority religion in Afghanistan. In Iraq, an escalation in the level of sectarian violence between Sunni and Shi'a Muslims threatens to halt political reconstruction. Targets of religiously motivated attacks also include secular Muslims, non-Muslim minorities, and women. The result is that many non-Muslim minorities are leaving Iraq, an exodus that may mean the end of the presence in Iraq of ancient Christian and other communities that have lived on those same lands for 2,000 years.
The situations in Afghanistan and Iraq serve to underscore the precarious state of this fundamental freedom, which the President's National Security Strategy refers to as the "first freedom," in so many countries around the world today.
Re-Designation of Severe Religious Freedom Violators
In September 2005, you re-designatedSaudi Arabia, China, North Korea, Sudan, Iran, Vietnam, Eritrea, and Burma as CPCs. The Commission concludes that there have been no changes substantial enough to warrant the removal of these eight countries from the list of CPC designations.
- Despite the Department's contention in its 2005 religious freedom report that there were some slight improvements in Saudi government efforts to foster religious tolerance in Saudi society, the report again concluded that freedom of religion "does not exist" in Saudi Arabia. The Commission also finds that there is no religious freedom in Saudi Arabia. The government of Saudi Arabia persists in banning all forms of public religious expression other than that of the government's own interpretation of one school of Sunni Islam and forcefully represses private religious practice. The government also continues to be involved in financing activities throughout the world that support extreme religious intolerance, hatred, and, in some cases, violence toward non-Muslims and disfavored Muslims.
- In China, where the Commission made its first official visit last year, the government continues to be responsible for pervasive and severe violations of religious freedom and related human rights. Every religious community in China is subject to serious restrictions, state control, and repression. The most severe religious freedom abuses are directed against Tibetan Buddhists, Uighur Muslims, Roman Catholics, house church and unregistered Protestants, and spiritual groups such as the Falun Gong-abuses involving imprisonment, torture, and other forms of ill treatment. Though the Chinese government issued a new Ordinance on Religion in March 2005, its provisions, in fact, restrict rather than protect religious freedom, offering Party leaders more extensive control over all religious groups and their activities. Prominent religious leaders and others continue to be confined, imprisoned, tortured, "disappeared," and subjected to other forms of ill treatment on account of their religion or belief. What is more, the Chinese government, in its treatment of refugees from North Korea, continues to disregard its international obligations to protect those who face persecution on their return. For more information on all of these concerns, we respectfully refer you to our Policy Focus on China, which the Commission issued after its visit to China last year.
- There are virtually no personal freedoms inNorth Korea and no protections for universal human rights. As confirmed by the Commission's important study released last year and based on interviews with North Korean refugees, religious belief of any kind is viewed by the government as a potential competitor to the forcefully propagated cult of personality centered on Kim Jong Il and his late father, Kim Il Sung. In pursuit of absolute control of all facets of life, the government under dictator Kim Jong Il has created an environment of fear in which dissent of any kind is not tolerated. Freedom of thought, conscience, and religion or belief does not exist, as the government severely represses public and private religious activities and maintains a policy of tight control over government-sanctioned religious practice. In the past several years, North Korean government officials have arrested, imprisoned, tortured, and sometimes executed those discovered engaging in clandestine religious activity.
- In Sudan, which the Commission visited earlier this year, an authoritarian government-that has pursued coercive policies of Arabization and Islamization resulting in genocide-severely restricts the religious freedom and other universal human rights of an ethnically and religiously diverse population. Sudanese security forces, and the senior officials responsible for their actions, have not been held to account for the human rights abuses committed during Sudan's North-South Civil War, most of the victims of which were Christians or followers of traditional African religions. With the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) in January 2005, religious freedom conditions have improved in southern and central Sudan. However, during its trip to Sudan, the Commission found that peace in Sudan is very fragile and there are serious problems with implementing the CPA, including its arrangements for the protection of human rights. The CPA has not yet resulted in significant changes in practice in government-controlled areas of the North, where government agencies continue to harass and discriminate against non-Muslims, including Christians, as well as Muslims who dissent from the government's views. In prisons and vagrant camps, non-Muslims are pressured to convert to Islam. Apostasy is legally punishable by death. Permission to build churches is routinely denied. The government's actions with regard to the continuing genocide in Darfur, as well as its failure to cooperate with the Security Council-mandated investigation by the International Criminal Court of alleged war crimes, impugn the commitment of Sudanese leaders to support human rights guarantees. What is more, at least some elements in the Sudanese military or security services that remain in the South may be aiding the Lord's Resistance Army, a Ugandan rebel group notorious for its brutal human rights abuses and known to have received safe haven and other support from Khartoum in the past.
- The government of Iran engages in systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom, including prolonged detention, torture, and executions. Over the past year, the Iranian government's poor religious freedom record deteriorated, especially for religious minorities and for Baha'is and Jews in particular. All minority groups faced intensified harassment, detention, arrests, and imprisonment. A consistent stream of virulent and inflammatory statements by political and religious leaders and an increase in harassment and, in some cases, imprisonment of, and physical attacks against, members of such groups indicate a renewal of a level of oppression not seen since the years after the 1979 revolution. President Ahmadinejad's repeated threats to destroy Israel and denials of the Holocaust have intensified fears among Iran's Jewish community. Dissidents and political reformers continue to be imprisoned on criminal charges of blasphemy and for criticizing the nature of the Islamic regime.
- The government of Vietnam continues to harass, detain, imprison, and discriminate against leaders and practitioners of all religious communities. In response to its designation as a CPC, the Vietnamese government has released a number of prominent religious prisoners, re-opened some churches in the Central Highlands, officially outlawed forced renunciations of faith, and issued new guidelines to help speed the process of registration of religious congregations. Nevertheless, serious abuses of religious freedom continue to occur, particularly against Montagnard and Hmong Protestants, Vietnamese Mennonites, followers of Hoa Hao Buddhism, and leaders of the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam. In addition, reports of forced renunciation of faith continue to emerge, the number of religious venues re-opened is low relative to the number that were closed, and new detentions continue to occur.
- Religious freedom conditions deteriorated in the past year in Eritrea, where the government continues to engage in systematic and egregious religious freedom violations. These violations include: a prolonged ban on public activities by all religious groups that are not officially recognized; closure of places of worship; inordinate delays in acting on registration applications by religious groups; disruption of private religious and even social gatherings of members of unregistered groups; arbitrary arrests and detention without charge of their members; and the mistreatment or torture of religious detainees, sometimes resulting in death. Hundreds of members of unregistered churches are believed to be detained at any given time, typically without charges, even for extended periods.
- Serious human rights abuses perpetuated by the military regime in Burma continue to be widespread, including systematic and egregious violations of religious freedom. According to the State Department, the Burmese government's extremely poor human rights record deteriorated in the past year, with increasing hostility directed at ethnic minorities, democracy activists, and international humanitarian agencies. The military junta uses a pervasive internal security apparatus to monitor the activities of all religious organizations. The government imposes restrictions on certain religious practices, controls and censors all religious publications, has supported, allowed, or instigated violence against religious minorities, and, in some areas of the country, has forcefully promoted Buddhism over other religions. Ethnic minority Christians and Muslims have encountered severe difficulties in recent years.
IRFA requires that the President not only name those countries that are the most egregious violators of religious freedom, but also take specific policy actions in response to that CPC designation. By taking action, the U.S. government demonstrates that its words about promoting democracy and freedom are put into practice.
Last year, the State Department announced its decisions on three serious religious freedom violators, Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, and Eritrea, in fulfillment of statutory obligations outlined in IRFA. In September 2005, you announced the denial of commercial export to Eritrea of defense articles and services covered by the Arms Control Export Act, with some items exempted. This was the first unique presidential action to be undertaken under IRFA as a result of CPC designation. The Commission commended this action and has recommended subsequent actions that the Administration should take, in accordance with IRFA, in response to the designation of Eritrea. In May of last year, the Department of State announced it had reached a binding agreement with the government of Vietnam, in accordance with IRFA, on steps that government would take to improve religious freedom. The Department also said that the U.S. government would consider taking Vietnam off the CPC list if certain conditions are met. It is the Commission's view that Vietnam's record on fulfilling this agreement has been mixed at best. As noted above, there has clearly not yet been enough tangible progress on religious freedom concerns in Vietnam to warrant removal of the CPC designation.
In September 2005, one year after the designation of Saudi Arabia, you approved a temporary 180-day waiver of further action, following the CPC designation, to allow for continued diplomatic discussions with the Saudi government and "to further the purposes of the International Religious Freedom Act." The waiver expired in late March 2006. As of the date of this letter, no action with regard to Saudi Arabia has been announced by the U.S. government. Given the extent of religious freedom violations in Saudi Arabia, the Commission urges you to consult with Congress and other parts of the U.S. government, including the Commission, during your discussions with the Saudis, and to make any agreement reached with the Saudi government public in the interest of the accountability that results from transparency. Since religious freedom conditions in Saudi Arabia have not substantially improved in the last year, theU.S. government must not hesitate in taking aggressive action which meets the requirements of IRFA to demonstrate that it will not disregard the persistent and egregious religious freedom violations committed by the Saudi government.
Countries that Should be Added to the CPC List
In addition to the eight countries previously designated by you as CPCs, the Commission continues to find that the governments of Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Pakistan have engaged in or tolerated particularly severe violations of religious freedom, and recommends that they be designated as CPCs this year.
- The overall situation for human rights in Uzbekistan deteriorated in the past year, particularly after the events in Andijon last May, when government troops fired on a crowd of demonstrators, killing hundreds. In addition to a restrictive law on religion that severely limits the ability of religious communities to function in Uzbekistan, the Uzbek government continues to exercise a high degree of control over the manner in which the Islamic faith is practiced. Government authorities also continue to crack down harshly on Muslim individuals, groups, and mosques that do not conform to government-prescribed practices or that the government claims are associated with extremist political groups. This has resulted in the imprisonment of thousands of persons in recent years, most of whom are denied the right to due process, and there are credible reports that many of those arrested continue to be tortured or beaten in detention. Though security threats do exist in Uzbekistan, including from members of Hizb ut-Tahrir and other groups that claim a religious linkage, these threats do not excuse or justify the scope and harshness of the government's ill treatment of religious believers. The Commission's CPC recommendation for Uzbekistan should not in any way be construed as an exculpatory defense of Hizb ut-Tahrir,an extremist and highly intolerant organization that promotes hatred of moderate Muslims, the West, Jews, and others.
- President Saparmurat Niyazov's monopoly of power and absolute control over Turkmen society render any independent religious activity impossible in Turkmenistan. The president is also imposing an increasingly oppressive personality cult, now effectively a state-imposed religion, that impinges on all aspects of public life in the country. Even the majority Muslim community faces repression. In July 2005, Niyazov ordered the publication of a list of religious rituals common to all Turkmens. It is reported that secret police attend mosques to identify Muslims who perform religious rites in a way that differs from this officially prescribed Turkmen practice. In the past two years, the government has made small, purportedly positive legal adjustments to the laws that restrict religious practice; however, these changes have done little or nothing to alter the overall repressive situation. The decree on registration cited in the 2005 International Religious Freedom Reportas evidence of "improvement" in fact resulted in the registration of only nine small groups and even they report continued difficulties. Credible reports indicate that registration is becoming a method of more pervasive state control over religious communities. The Commission regrets that a few insignificant developments in Turkmenistan that in no way change the fundamental absence there of any freedoms, including religious freedom, enable that country to evade the State Department's designation as a CPC it so unequivocally deserves.
- Sectarian and religiously motivated violence persists in Pakistan, particularly against Shi'as, Ahmadis, Hindus, and Christians, and the government's response to this problem, though improved, continues to be insufficient and not fully effective. In addition, a number of the country's laws, including legislation restricting the Ahmadi community and laws against blasphemy, frequently result in imprisonment on account of religion or belief and/or vigilante violence against the accused. These religious freedom concerns persist amidst the wider problem of the lack of democracy in Pakistan, an obstacle the current government has done little to address. The absence of any meaningful democratic reform has been exacerbated by the current government's political alliance with militant religious parties, which has served to strengthen these groups and give them influence in the country's affairs disproportionate to their support among the Pakistani people. Given the importance of Pakistan in the U.S. government's efforts against terrorism, the failure of the Pakistani government to implement genuine religious freedom reforms is a cause for serious concern.
Countries Requiring Close Monitoring: the Commission's Watch List
In addition to its CPC recommendations, the Commission has established a Watch List of countries where conditions do not rise to the statutory level requiring CPC designation but which require close monitoring due to the nature and extent of violations of religious freedom engaged in or tolerated by the governments. Afghanistan, where the former Taliban regime was once designated under IRFA as a particularly severe violator, has been added to the Commission's Watch List this year, joining Bangladesh, Belarus, Cuba, Egypt, Indonesia, and Nigeria. The Commission is concerned about the serious abuses in these countries, and that the governments either have not halted repression and/or violence against persons amounting to severe violations of freedom of religion, or have failed to punish those responsible for perpetrating those acts. We urge you to pay particular attention to the poor situation for religious freedom in these countries, as we will continue to do.
Though improved since the fall of the Taliban regime, conditions for freedom of religion or belief in Afghanistan became increasingly problematic in the past year. Flaws in the country's new constitution, which does not contain clear protections for the right to freedom of religion or belief for individual Afghan citizens, resulted in a growing number of criminal prosecutions and other official actions against individuals for exercising their rights-including cases we noted at the opening of this letter. The defects in the constitution are compounded by the current role and power of the country's Supreme Court, which continues to be headed by a Chief Justicewho disavowed to the Commission his support for core international human rights standards. As a consequence of his actions, a sitting Minister in the interim Afghan government was forced to resign after being charged with blasphemy for questioning the role of Islamic law in Afghanistan, journalists have been jailed on charges of offending Islam, and during the October 2004 presidential elections, a presidential candidate was threatened with disqualification for purported "anti-Islamic remarks" on women's rights and family law. In addition, the failure or inability of the Afghan government to exercise authority over much of the country outside Kabul contributes to a progressively deteriorating situation for religious freedom and other human rights in many of the provinces. These developments indicate that religious extremism-even in official circles-is an increasing threat to democratic consolidation in Afghanistan. In light of the very real dangers to the U.S. goal of instituting democracy and human rights protections in Afghanistan, the Commission has decided to place the country on its Watch List. The Commission will carefully monitor the situation in Afghanistan, in whose political development the United States should remain closely engaged.
In Bangladesh, where the Commission traveled in March 2006, there is concern that democratic institutions and constitutional guarantees of freedom of religion continue to be threatened by the growth of religious extremism amid the country's chronic political strife. Islamic militants have been implicated in violent attacks on politicians, members of religious minorities, particularly Ahmadis, Hindus, and Christians, authors who promote different interpretations of Islam, and non-governmental institutions promoting the empowerment of women and human rights. There has been a dramatic and marked decline of the Hindu population living in Bangladesh during the past few decades. There is also concern that the next national elections in 2007 might result in the kind of violence seen following the 2001 elections, when Hindus were particularly subjected to attacks, and that religious minorities are currently being targeted for disenfranchisement from participation in those elections by selective voter registration procedures. Although the perpetrators of these crimes have largely gone unpunished, the Commission notes that the government's efforts to combat extremist violence have had some notable successes in the past year, including the arrests of two militant leaders, Siddiqul Islam, better known as "Bangla Bhai," and Sheikh Abdur Rahman.
In Belarus, violence after the March 2006 presidential elections has resulted in a deteriorating situation for all human rights. The highly authoritarian government persists in enforcing the harsh 2002 law on religion, resulting in calculated and serious regulatory obstacles and bureaucratic and legal restrictions on the activities of many religious communities. In the past year, the Belarusian authorities appeared to be adopting even tougher sanctions against religious leaders and others who take part in unregistered religious activity. Moreover, the government refuses to acknowledge anti-Semitism and does not prosecute those responsible for vandalism against Jewish memorials, cemeteries, or other property. Anti-Semitic literature continues to be sold in government buildings, in stores, and at events directly and indirectly connected with the Belarusian Orthodox Church.
Religious belief and practice continue to be tightly controlled in Cuba, where the government rarely permits the construction of new places of worship. A new law on religion, adopted last year and meant to "legalize" certain religious activity, actually reinforces the government's efforts to maintain control over religious practice. Reports indicate that at least three Protestant house churches have been closed, confiscated, and/or demolished since the new law went into effect. In the past year, both registered and unregistered religious groups continued to experience varying degrees of official interference, harassment, and repression.
The Commission traveled to Egypt in 2004 and found that discrimination, intolerance, and other human rights violations affect a broad spectrum of religious groups in that country. Serious violations affect Coptic Orthodox Christians, Jews, and Baha'is, as well as members of minority Muslim communities. The Egyptian government has adopted some measures in recent years to acknowledge certain aspects of the religious pluralism in Egyptian society; however, more can and should be done by the government to protect the right to religious freedom, to punish those responsible for a rise in religiously-motivated violence over the past year, and to combat widespread and virulent anti-Semitism and other intolerance in the media and in the education system. Just last month, three Coptic Christian churches were attacked by a Muslim man, resulting in the death of one Christian and the wounding of approximately a dozen others. Three days of rioting followed the attacks, leaving one Muslim killed and almost 40 injured.
In Indonesia, though the situation has continued to improve since 2002, the Commission remains concerned about ongoing sectarian violence and the Indonesian government's inability or unwillingness to hold those responsible to account; the forcible closures of worship buildings belonging to religious minorities; and the growing political power and influence of religious extremists, who harass and sometimes instigate violence against moderate Muslim leaders and members of religious minorities. In the past year, a Hindu temple was bombed in Central Sulawesi and mobs attacked an Ahmadiyah compound in West Java several times.
Despite some improvement in the past year, including more decisive government action to quell sectarian violence and address the activities of Islamic extremist groups, the response of the government of Nigeria to persistent religious freedom concerns continues to be inadequate. This is particularly the case with regard to an ongoing series of violent communal conflicts along religious lines; the controversy over the expansion of sharia (Islamic law) into the criminal codes of several northern Nigerian states; and discrimination against minority communities of Christians and Muslims.
Iraq: Intensified U.S. Efforts Required
Although the country does not yet appear on either our recommended CPC list or Watch List as it is undergoing reconstruction, we would like to point to the religious freedom situation in Iraq, a country that continues to be an important focus of the Commission's work. The development of a permanent constitution and legal system that will guarantee every Iraqi citizen's right to freedom of religion or belief and other human rights in accordance with Iraq's international obligations continues to be a concern. As it now stands, fundamental questions remain about the final content of the constitution, and how the provisions on religious freedom and other fundamental rights will be implemented through enabling legislation. Specifically, the Commission remains troubled by the constitution's overarching ambiguities and contradictions, and particularly by references to Islam which ultimately may be interpreted to negate such key human rights guarantees and to discriminate against and repress both non-Muslims and non-conforming Muslims alike. The result is that human rights, including religious freedom, continue to be at risk.
There has been an ongoing stream of violence and extremism in Iraq driven by religious intolerance. We have already mentioned the violence between Sunni and Shi'a Muslims and the flight of thousands of ChaldoAssyrians and other members of Iraq's indigenous non-Muslim religious minorities out of fear of persecution. In addition, there have been numerous reports of violence, including murder, particularly against women, in an effort by various militia and insurgent groups and even, in some areas, local officials, to impose an extremist version of Islamic law in parts of the country. Places of worship and religious clerics continue to be the target of attacks by insurgents and extremist groups.
Other Countries Under Scrutiny
Finally, though not currently on the Commission's Watch List, the Commission continues actively to monitor the religious freedom conditions in several other countries. In Russia, the deliberate retreat by the government from democratic reform and protection for human rights is an alarming development. The favored status of the Russian Orthodox Church has increasingly affected the right to freedom of religion or belief in Russia. The law on religious organizations has prevented some religious groups from registering and thus practicing freely. Substantial manifestations of anti-Semitism have not declined, while the number of attacks on Muslims and members of other religious and ethnic minorities has increased at a troubling rate. The deterioration in conditions for religious freedom and other human rights appears to be a direct consequence of the increasingly authoritarian nature of the Russian government, and the growing influence of chauvinistic strains in Russian society, which seem to be tolerated by the government.
Significant developments affecting freedom of religion or belief that took place in India since the May 2004 elections resulted in that country's removal from the Commission's CPC list last year. Those elections, which resulted in a coalition government led by the Congress Party, followed more than a decade of growing violence against religious minorities in the country and the killing of as many as 2,000 Muslims in the state of Gujarat in 2002. Since then, the country's Supreme Court has taken significant steps to bring to justice those responsible for the violence in Gujarat, including by setting up an inquiry committee in February 2006 that resulted in the reopening of nearly 1,600 cases against those who took part in the attacks. School textbooks that had been revised and published under the previous government of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) were replaced in 2005. In addition, the government has continued to act decisively in several volatile situations in the past year to prevent communal violence in circumstances where it has erupted in the past, most notably following the bombings in the Hindu holy city of Varanasi in early 2006, reportedly carried out by Islamist extremist groups. Despite these improvements, concerns about religious freedom in India remain, particularly indications that attacks on Christian churches and individuals persist-in some areas at alarmingly high levels-without adequate prosecution. The BJP-led state of Rajasthan in particular has been the recent scene of serious attacks on Christian individuals and institutions carried out by members of extremist groups espousing Hindu nationalism.
The Commission visited Sri Lanka earlier this year.Although the country is a functioning democracy, the Commission was concerned by the increasing number of attacks targeting religious minority communities, including churches and ministers, as well as by proposed legislation restricting religious conversion that, if enacted, would have resulted in violations of freedom of religion or belief in Sri Lanka. The proposed legislation on religious conversions was deferred at the end of last year, although it can be reintroduced at any time. The Commission remains very concerned about the attacks against churches and religious leaders, which have persisted, and to which the government's response continues to be inadequate.
* * *
Summaries of conditions in all of the countries discussed in this letter can be found in the Commission's Annual Report, which we have enclosed and which will be released concurrently with this letter. The Commission has made specific policy recommendations on most of these countries, and we encourage you to give special attention to those recommendations, which can also be found in our report. We also urge the Department of State to take any actions necessary to implement the IRFA legislation.
Madame Secretary, last March, you said, "There is no more fundamental issue for the United States than freedom of religion and religious conscience. This country was founded on that basis and it is at the heart of democracy." The members of the Commission fully concur with your affirmation of this human freedom, so essential to any individual's ability to enjoy the other rights guaranteed in the world's international human rights documents. Indeed, this principle is at the heart of the International Religious Freedom Act. In standing with those who face repression on account of their beliefs, the United States promotes democracy and stability at the same time that it advances the critical agenda of promoting universal human rights for all.
The Commission looks forward to meeting with you to discuss its 2006 CPC recommendations.
Respectfully yours,
Michael Cromartie
cc: Robert B. Zoellick, Deputy Secretary of State
R. Nicholas Burns, Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs
Paula J. Dobriansky, Undersecretary of State for Global Affairs
Barry F. Lowenkron, Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor
John V. Hanford, III, Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom
Stephen Hadley, National Security Advisor
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom was created by the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 to monitor the status of freedom of thought, conscience, and religion or belief abroad, as defined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and related international instruments, and to give independent policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State and the Congress.
Michael Cromartie,Chair

subset: commoncrawl


text:
It's not a new phenomenon, three generations in a single workplace, but the latest generation on the scene is causing a flurry of concern.
That message came loud and clear to Marjolaine Rompre, director of learning development at Canada, a company that hires a large number of the Gen Y population, the most recent generation in the workplace. The younger you start, the better you fit, the company believes, hence their push for on-campus recruitment.
"We like to say that we grow our own managers," she said.
By the late 1990s, the company realized that a work population that is one-third boomer (1947-1966), one-third Generation X (1967-1979) and one-third Generation Y (1980-1995) was going to have to figure out how to cope with the winds of change blown in by this younger generation.
So it was up to Rompre, a young Boomer (born in 1961), to do something to alleviate the stress.
"By 1996, we saw the newcomers had a different approach," she said.
Earlier generations, when they started at work, would go into meetings and observe and hardly speak, not wanting to ruffle feathers. Not so for the Gen Y population.
"This new generation is so candid about participating and a lot freer," she said. "When we saw that, we realized we could be faced with an interesting problem. We called it Generation Shock."
So they decided to create a program for L'Oreal workers that would "valorize generational differences," which became the title, because they felt that Gen Y already received a lot of attention and the goal was to ensure that every group understood the other. In the end, she says, "the Ys told us they were so happy to learn why the baby boomers were so conservative and why Gen X didn't want to share information with them."
They have brought it 500 employees so far, in an effort to reveal the values of each generation - and the common truth that each generation is more rebellious than the one before, and always wants to change the world.
"Then they sit together as cohorts and ask questions," Rompre said, "and each group is interested and surprised to see what's important to the other group."
The biggest surprise, she says, has been how many differences there are - and how many similarities.
For instance, when they talk about security, the groups learn that for the post-war generation, the smallest, oldest group now known as traditionalists, security meant their savings.
"They bought with cash and they had money in the bank," she said.PAGEBREAK
For baby boomers, "their security was in the pension plan, because that was really created with their generation. You just had job security and pension plan."
For the X generation, who came into a saturated market and had to fight for their jobs, security meant having a strong resume. On the other hand, Rompre says, "for Gen Y, security is not a word in their vocabulary because they have such a safety net; their parents are there for them. They don't have the same outlook."
There's a certain self importance in this group, she says, mixed with extreme loyalty toward their colleagues, with whom many form lasting friendships.
"There's a greater sense of community than among the Gen X. Baby boomers are about the team, while Gen X were very career-oriented, all about themselves."
This, of course, is a response to Gen X's entree into a very competitive and tight workplace, compared with Gen Y, who see work as a continuum from university.
"For them, it's just another way of learning. They're really focused on their development," Rompre said. "They want to continue to grow and learn.
"At the same time," she points out, "they have an amazing sense of community and friendship. Families are smaller, with fewer siblings, so friends are important when growing up. Plus, mom and daddy working."
So when they get into the workplace, their colleagues become their friends and their social life takes place partly at work.
"In many ways they're a breath of fresh air," Rompre said.
On the other hand, the previous generations were a lot more career and results focused. It was clear that when you started in a company, you would start at the bottom and work hard in order to earn your place.
Not so for Gen Y.
"This generation is the most schooled generation ever, and they want to have responsibility very early on," she said.
The fact they want their voice to be heard right away is really an extension of their behaviour at home, she believes.
"Their parents gave them such voice at the table that they think it's perfectly normal to share everything that they're thinking and it will be considered," she said.
This is seen by the other generations as refreshing - or frustrating.
The L'Oreal program tries to explain and then bridge the gaps between the generations. The managers and employees in the course try to understand where people come from and what's important to them, without judgment. And because Gen Y, the ones who ruffle the most feathers, are the reason for the course, their values and paradoxes are explained most fully.PAGEBREAK
For instance, they really want to be autonomous, yet they also want validation. They want to be independent, but like to work in teams. They want rapid success within the company, yet have very strong desire to maintain work-life balance. They practice extensive freedom of speech and are very candid, but they lack political savvy. They want to be everywhere at the same time but have real difficulty managing priorities. They have great tolerance about religion, race and nationality, but are very quick to pass judgment on the competency of their bosses.
"When I share those things with them, they go, 'Yes,'" Rompre said. "They realize they're not that easy to manage, and this sheds light on who they are."
Even though Gen Ys have an ace in their back pockets, in that they know there aren't enough Gen Xs to replace all the baby boomers so employers will be trying to recruit them, they're proud of hard work and have career aspirations. However, they'll find another way to do business than staying at work until midnight.
And they want bosses who will mentor them.
"They won't respect you because you're their boss. They'll respect you because you're competent and approachable," Rompre said.
At L'Oreal, the course has been a huge success, generating so much buzz that they had to add to the half-day sessions. Another side note within the company, where there are actually a number of Gen Ys who are now managing boomers and Gen Xs: Most of the Ys are children of baby boomers so there is an interesting relationship between the two groups.
"The Xs had to fight much more, waiting for boomers to get out, but the baby boomers aren't threatened by Gen Y," she said. "In fact, they love to share and to show them the ropes. "


text: Job Discussion Forums :: View topic - Does 12,000 yr US in Latin America make for a happy teacher? Get TEFL Certified & Start Your Adventure Today! Job Discussion Forums"The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Students and Teachers from Around the World!" FAQ Search Memberlist Usergroups Register Profile Log in to check your private messages Log in Does 12,000 yr US in Latin America make for a happy teacher? Job Discussion Forums Forum Index -> General Latin America Forum View previous topic :: View next topic Author Message Paulie2003Joined: 29 Mar 2003Posts: 541 Posted: Mon Jun 14, 2004 5:41 pm Post subject: Does 12,000 yr US in Latin America make for a happy teacher? This includes housing. Back to top MELEEJoined: 22 Jan 2003Posts: 2583Location: The Mexican Hinterland Posted: Mon Jun 14, 2004 8:05 pm Post subject: In WHICH country... The economies vary a lot! Back to top lozwichJoined: 25 May 2003Posts: 1536 Posted: Mon Jun 14, 2004 8:50 pm Post subject: Taking my recent experience into account, I think I'd be asking a lot more than money questions when deciding what constitutes a 'happy teacher'... Back to top moonravenJoined: 24 Mar 2004Posts: 3094 Posted: Mon Jun 14, 2004 9:07 pm Post subject: If money were the determinant of whether one is happy or not, I wouldn't have been working in Latin America for more than 10 years. I would be back in the US billing my business consulting clients 75 bucks an hour. I can't imagine anyone coming here for the money.... Back to top Paulie2003Joined: 29 Mar 2003Posts: 541 Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2004 3:27 pm Post subject: Maybe I should have said 'comfortable'... You are all right - money is not (and should not be) of great consequence. I've heard a similar message from One who said: "Sell all you have, give to the poor and follow Me!" Actually, that is what this job is all about!! Back to top matttheboyJoined: 01 Jul 2003Posts: 854Location: Valparaiso, Chile Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2004 12:41 pm Post subject: Well if you really want to know, on a purely financial level then yes- in the countries i`ve lived in (Ecuador, Argentina and even Chile, the most expensive country in these parts) then you could live very happily on 12 grand. In Buenos Aires you can rent a luxury 2 bed apartment in a decent area for about US$6-700 a month for example....Enjoy the money (as long as the job isn`t in some backwater hellhole where you won`t be able to...) Back to top Paulie2003Joined: 29 Mar 2003Posts: 541 Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2004 2:59 pm Post subject: Hey Brother!...'backwater, hellhole' huh?...I wonder what parent worth their salt would even think of sending their child to someplace like that!...and pay very good money to do it. Asian jobs generally pay decently - I made the best money in China! (though I couldn't quite figure out what the school was all about). The economic situation in Latin America is bound to improve - there must be great money to be made from all those vacationing rich Canadians and Americans! If, of course, the political situation is stable... Back to top matttheboyJoined: 01 Jul 2003Posts: 854Location: Valparaiso, Chile Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2004 10:52 pm Post subject: Stable politically!!!!!!!????? South America?????? The best you can hope for is stable-ish (empahasis on the `-ish`...). Chile`s the most stable without a doubt (but there was a bomb there last week in Santiago-some `subversives`, as the government likes to call them, blew up a bank). Argentina has stabalised somewhat and is pretty safe (and very, very fun) if you keep your eye on the ball, just get used to to the almost daily workers` (or non-workers`) marches or join in-they can be fun, and Brazil`s ok (despite the alcoholic President Lula). The Andean countries tend to be the least stable (especially Ecuador and Bolivia) and of course Colombia has it`s problems. I have no ideas about the political situations anywhere north of Colombia (except Venezuela-in the news due to the oil problems...). Where is your proposed job for 12 grand? Sounds like a pretty good deal to me..... Back to top Paulie2003Joined: 29 Mar 2003Posts: 541 Posted: Thu Jun 17, 2004 3:04 pm Post subject: The position is still pending - but I believe it's on the side of a volcano in a country that has had a history of political unrest. It's supposed to be calmer now (and cooler since the rains have come). Anyway, one needs the necessary degrees and experience (5yrs+). Back to top [email protected]Joined: 16 Jan 2003Posts: 473Location: here and there Posted: Tue Jun 22, 2004 4:50 pm Post subject: money if you're really interested in the money and don't mind unrest, go to colombia (columbia?). there are univ. jobs there that pay $25,000-$35,000. i was in contact with one a couple years back but decided it wasn't worth the risk. Back to top Paulie2003Joined: 29 Mar 2003Posts: 541 Posted: Mon Oct 04, 2004 5:00 pm Post subject: I can safely answer my own question now...from experience. One thousand dollars a month is easy enough to get by on (housing provided) and the teaching conditions where I am (El Salvador) are actually quite decent. The country and its people are unique and interesting and the students are eager to learn English. I could actually say it's 'growing on me' - I find myself enjoying the job!!! Back to top Paulie2003Joined: 29 Mar 2003Posts: 541 Posted: Thu Oct 07, 2004 4:48 pm Post subject: Like most nebulous statements, that last one of mine should be qualified a bit further...how one defines the word 'live' has a lot to do with how suitable a salary might be, of course. To make a 'decent' wage there are a myriad of minor inconveniences to put with such as: sharing living quarters, teaching at an upper class shool and flaky co-workers as well as students, etc. These kids' families usually have maids to cover the more mundane household tasks - it's the exception not to. But, in all fairness, they can be very responsible and have great aspirations for their own futures generally...and many of them try very hard to excel in school. Of course, there are the American and British schools which are pumped-up and fueled by the ever-generous (especially when it's not really their money to give) financial 'machine' in their respective nations. As long as there is ink and plenty of paper to print 5's, 10's, 20's 50's....why the whole world can benefit and finally live in Peace!!! Back to top Display posts from previous: All Posts1 Day7 Days2 Weeks1 Month3 Months6 Months1 Year Oldest FirstNewest First Job Discussion Forums Forum Index -> General Latin America Forum All times are GMT Page 1 of 1 Jump to: Select a forum Where to Begin----------------General DiscussionNewbie ForumCurrent Events ForumTechnology ForumOnline Teaching Forum Africa Forums----------------General Africa Forum Asia Forums----------------CambodiaChina (Job-related Posts Only)China (Off-Topic)Hong KongIndiaIndonesiaJapanMalaysiaPhilippinesSingaporeTaiwanThailandGeneral Asia ForumVietnam Caribbean Forums----------------General Caribbean Forum Europe Forums----------------Czech RepublicFranceGermanyGreeceItalyMacedonia and the BalkansPolandRomaniaRussia & C.I.S.SpainTurkeyUkraineUnited KingdomGeneral Europe Forum Latin America Forums----------------ArgentinaBrazilChileColombiaCosta RicaMexicoMexico (off-topic)PeruGeneral Latin America Forum The Middle East Forums----------------BahrainEgyptIsraelKuwaitOmanQatarSaudi ArabiaUnited Arab EmiratesGeneral Middle East Forum North America Forums----------------General North America Forum Oceania----------------Australia/New Zealand You cannot post new topics in this forumYou cannot reply to topics in this forumYou cannot edit your posts in this forumYou cannot delete your posts in this forumYou cannot vote in polls in this forum This page is maintained by the one and only Dave Sperling. 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News: SME News
Thursday, 28 Feb 2013
Microsoft Next-Gen Office 365 for Business Released
Microsoft has announced the worldwide availability of a major new update to its Microsoft Office 365 services for businesses. Microsoft's most complete Office cloud service to date has new features and offerings tailored to the needs and budgets of small, medium-size, and large organizations.
Monday, 3 Dec 2012
Amazon and Google Battle to be Cheaper on the Cloud
In an attempt to compete with Amazon's discount on cloud based services, Google has slashed its cloud pricing by over 30 percent.
Friday, 20 Jul 2012
Symantec Elevates Mobile Productivity with New Android and iOS Protection Capabilities
Symantec has announced mobile portfolio updates to enable secure mobile email deployments, mobile application initiatives and Bring Your Own Device programs.
Monday, 30 Apr 2012
Canon XEED WUX5000 Multimedia Projector Features 360-degree Projection
Offering WUXGA resolution at 1920 x 1200 pixels, the multimedia projector features a brightness of 5,000 lumens, a high 1000:1 contrast ratio, and three optional lenses. With a 360-degree installation orientation, the XEED SUX5000 is ideal for theaters, conferences, and even homes.
Wednesday, 25 Apr 2012
Lexmark Advances Solutions Capabilities with Two New Families of Color Laser Printers
Lexmark launches the Lexmark X740 Series of MFPs and C740 Series of color laser printers, which integrate advanced security to help protect valuable corporate data.
Singapore Gets First Look at Next Gen ESET Endpoint Solutions
This world's first sneak peek provided Singaporean analysts, media and bloggers with an insight into the advanced detection technology and multi-layered security features.
Monday, 23 Apr 2012
Dominion LX KVM-over-IP Switches Offer Economical Remote Access
Specifically designed for SMBs, these switches offer IT managers local and remote BIOS-level access and control of 8 or 16 servers. With flexible cascading, 256 computers from a single console can be managed.
Wednesday, 18 Apr 2012
NVIDIA Partners Make Ultra-Low Latency a Reality with NVIDIA GPUDirect for Video
This technology provides fast accessibility of the graphics and image processing power of NVIDIA Quadro and Tesla professional GPUs with ultra-low latency input and output across a wide range of I/O devices.
Thursday, 12 Apr 2012
Canon Ups Workforce Mobility and Productivity with uniFLOW 5.1
Equipped with additional secured mobile printing, reporting and document capture features, uniFLOW 5.1 extends the suite of robust print security, accounting, routing and tracking functionalities.
ViewSonic and Userful Deliver MultiClient MultiSeat for Schools and Businesses
Enabling schools and businesses to deploy three to four times as many PC users for the same cost, the MultiClient solution converts one Linux computer into 20+ high performance independent computer stations using the ViewSonic VMA line of zero clients and Userful's MultiSeat software.


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Carrboro, NC, 30 Oct. 2007 – This fall, North Carolina writers are eagerly anticipating the state's most valuable professional development opportunity to explore the publishing and writing world: The North Carolina Writers' Network Fall Conference on Writing and Publishing.
The conference runs from 5pm Friday, Nov. 16 to 1pm Sunday, Nov. 18 at the Hawthorne Inn Hotel in downtown Winston-Salem. Registration is open through Wednesday, Nov. 7. Registration ends at midnight on Nov. 7 if registering online www.ncwriters.org; it ends at 5pm if registering by calling the NC Writers' Network at 919-967-9540. Walk-in registration is also available.
The conference features three days of classes, panels and special events on the craft of writing, techniques for getting published, and networking opportunities with editors, agents and other writers. It offers more than 35 classes and workshops; manuscript critiques with distinguished teaching writers; pitch sessions with agents and editors; faculty readings; master classes in fiction, creative nonfiction and poetry; a cocktail reception on Friday with honored Winston-Salem guests and faculty, and more.
The keynote speaker is well-known author Jill McCorkle, a Lumberton native, at 9pm Friday. (The Jill McCorkle keynote is free and open to the public. All other speakers and events are for conferees only.) Robert Morgan (Gap Creek; Boone: A Biography), a native of Hendersonville, will give a talk at Saturday's banquet. Winston-Salem educator and filmmaker Nathan Ross Freeman of the Winston-Salem Youth Arts Institute will perform with four young poet friends at Saturday's luncheon. Saturday morning's "Breakfast with Author" talk features Carole Boston Weatherford of High Point (whose latest book, Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom, is a Caldecott Honor Book) in conversation with Kim Underwood of the Winston-Salem Journal. Sunday morning's "Breakfast with Authors" features Salisbury native and New York Times best-selling author John Hart (King of Lies; Down River) and Louise Hawes of Pittsboro, a children's' and short story writer whose 14 books include the new Anteaters Don't Dream, in conversation with editor Lauren Mosko.
UNC-TV's "Bookwatch" host D.G. Martin recently wrote, "If you ask me, 'How do I get published?', my answer will be: Go to the Writers' Network Fall Conference. Then we'll talk…… You will rub shoulders with North Carolina literary heroes like Jill McCorkle, Robert Morgan, Randall Kenan and Tony Abbott. Over the years, this conference has been instrumental in generating publishing deals for North Carolina writers. It has a reputation as one of the best - and most affordable - conferences of its kind for writers in the country."
The North Carolina Writers' Network is a nonprofit organization founded in 1985 to connect, promote and lead the writing community from beginners to published professionals. Its annual conference is held in different regions of the state each year. The Network's publications, programs and services are made possible with support from the North Carolina Arts Council.


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Monday mornings weekly – Gentle Yoga Flow
Thursday Sep 2019
Berkley Street Methodist Church Hall, St Neots Cambridgeshire
September 19th, 2019 - 9:15 am - 10:15 am
9:15am – 10:15am Open Level flow Yoga £7 p/lesson or PAYGO £8 p/lesson.
A gentle morning practice, finishing with relaxation/meditation, focusing on breath and positivity to set you up for the week.
If you are interested to join a booking and payment of the 6 lessons are to be made pre lesson package.
**Yoga Mat and blocks are provided.
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The Goodguys PPG Nationals In Columbus, Ohio - Better Than Ever
With Runnin' And Gunnin' Added To The Showin' And Shinin', The Goodguys PPG Nationals In Columbus, Ohio, Has Raised The Bar For Their Premier Event Of The Year.
For many hot rodders, the pinnacle of the event season is the Goodguys PPG Nationals, held the second weekend in July at the Ohio state fairgrounds in Columbus, Ohio. It's a huge gathering, with thousands of cars sprawled across the hundred-acre venue. Veteran attendees know better than to go for just one day-this show needs all three days to get the maximum benefit.
The Goodguys gathering in Columbus is huge for a reason-if you stick a pin in a map at Columbus and draw a 500-mile radius around it, you'll find 75 percent of the country's hot rods inside that small circle. Columbus is hot rod central, and few places outside the Ohio state fairgrounds are large enough to host the event at the level Goodguys members are accustomed to.
The Columbus event has always been home to the Street Machine Of The Year event, in which the top builders battle it out for honors in a build style we've come to know as Pro Touring, or g-Machine. The build style is characterized by max-effort suspensions, grippy tires, big brakes, and flexible powertrains. As Pro Touring cars become more exotic and packed full of the newest technology, many in the hobby wondered if there was a commensurate level of real performance to go along with all that style. When handing out the SMOY award in years past, there was always that nagging question: These cars can talk the talk, but can they really walk the walk?
Already a rousing success, the Street Challenge autocross would be the perfect crucible in which to test the mettle of the SMOY competitors at this year's PPG Nationals. So it came to pass that a bevy of high-end muscle cars-some deep into the six-figure price range-hit the timed autocross in mind-bending fury. With that said, at this point in time, the actual lap times don't affect the ranking or judging, they merely proudly reinforce, or embarrassingly disprove a car's status as a bona fide performer. Perhaps at some later date, the autocross lap times will be the basis of ranking, or perhaps a maximum lap e.t. could be established for SMOY entrants. Either way, we can't complain. It's the right move for this stand-out class of cars.
At the end of the day, Erv Woller of North Lake, Wisconsin, won the Street Machine Of The Year contest with his '69 Camaro, but to say that the PPG Nationals is just a playground for high-end muscle machines would be false. We enjoy coming to Columbus every year because of the tremendous variety of cars, from high end, to Joe six-pack. Man can't live on a diet of '69 Camaros alone, and the Columbus crowd gave us a great selection of makes and models to salivate over. We've tried to show here the range of machines at Columbus this past July, and hope you'll make the effort to join us next year when we visit again!
Pardon Me, Sir ... ... but do you have any Grey Poupon? You'll have to forgive Tod Weston if his '70 Rolls Royce Silver Shadow is a bit cartoonish, but it really does represent the best of both worlds. "I had the Rolls Royce, and I always loved Hemis as a kid," says Tod, "so I thought, why not put two great things together?" Yes indeed, why not? Tod is a real estate lawyer from Fort Lauderdale, FL, so what better way to break the ice with clients at the golf course than with a Rolls powered by a 472ci Ray Barton-built Hemi? Tod credits Little Joe's Hot Rods in Denver, NC, for putting his highbrow Hemi together.
Street Machine Of The YearThe country's top award for a performance-based Street Machine was presented to North Lake, Wisconsin's Erv Woller. Woller's '69 Camaro. Known as "RAZOR," it was built by the Ring brothers of Spring Green, Wisconsin-the same team that produced last year's Street Machine of the Year winner. That's the first time in the 14-year history of the award the winning car was produced by the same build team in consecutive seasons.
Woller expressed his gratitude for all the hard work of the build team. "When you embark on a project like this, you become family with everyone involved in the car. It's a project that takes a lot of resources and countless hours. I couldn't be prouder."
Part of this year's award criteria mandated that all eligible vehicles take part in a demanding three-lap autocross. Woller strapped himself into RAZOR and cranked out three very impressive lap times with a best of 18.466 for the 1,000-foot course. In the end, RAZOR defeated the largest field of contenders ever (28 cars) for the Street Machine Of The Year crown. The top five finalists for this year's award included Kevin Alstott ('68 Camaro), Gary Abraham ('70 Nova), Woller's RAZOR, Jeff Hanson ('69 Camaro), and James McLeod ('69 Camaro Convertible).
|"RAZOR" 1969 Camaro
|Erv Woller, North Lake, Wisconsin
|Ring brothers, Spring Green, WI
|Design concept:
|Sean Smith, SS Design
|Upholstery Unlimited
|(Steve Pearson)
|Carbon fiber body components:
|hood, decklid,
|rear bumper, and brake duct air intakes
|all custom fab by Ring brothers
|Machined parts:
|custom-machined taillight bezels,
|rear fuel filler, shifter plate, gauge bezels,
|ignition switch plates, hood hinges,
|wheelhouse vents by Ring brothers
|GM Performance all aluminum
|ZL1 big-block, 454 ci
|Viper T-56, six-speed manual
|hydroformed front subframe
|BASF RM line
|(Mineral Gray and other custom blends)
|custom Budnik wheels,
|18x10 front; 19x12, rear;
|Goodyear tires
|custom by Classic Instruments
|Flowmaster Super 44
Deal Of The Decade!You can browse through swap meets and car corrals all summer long and never come across a deal like this. In fact, Mark Fannin's '71 Chevelle is the mythical dream deal you always hear about and search for, but almost never find. Here's what we mean: Mark wants $25K for his '71, which runs 10.80s with pump gas on pure motor. It's a super clean, straight, rust-free street car with new Lexus paint, a perfect interior, and a rollbar. Under the hood is a 489ci big-block with an Eagle stroker kit, Dart Pro 1 heads, Victor Jr. intake, 830 Holley, and a mild roller cam. Running gear includes a built Turbo 400 with a TCI 3,800-stall converter, a 12-bolt rear with 4.10 gears, and Mickey Thompson drag radials. We're not usually into pimpin' other folks cars for sale, but c'mon, people, some reader needs to step in and grab this up. Give Mark a call if you're interested (937-320-0801). This thing spanks our '68 Chevelle (Project Street Sweeper) for about half the price.


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Security Bulletins for Adobe Acrobat and Reader (APSB15-15), Adobe Shockwave Player (APSB15-17) and Adobe Flash Player (APSB15-18) have been published. These updates address critical vulnerabilities, and Adobe recommends users update their product installations to the latest versions using the instructions referenced in the relevant security bulletin.
Adobe is aware of reports that exploits targeting vulnerabilities affecting Flash Player have been published publicly.
UPDATE (July 16): Updated APSB15-18 to include versions of Flash Player for Linux as well as the Extended Support Release that address the vulnerabilities referenced in APSB15-18.
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| 8.4°C Belfast
Marc Webb has revealed he thinks that Rihanna playing the Black Cat would be "a great idea".
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 director said he would approach Marvel bosses with the idea that the Diamonds singer could portray the comic-book superhero.
"Rihanna to be the Black Cat? That's a great idea. We will put it under advicement," he said.
But he remained coy about a potential Black Cat spin-off film, saying: "I don't want to give everything away. You gotta keep some secrets, you've got to play it close to the vest so we'll see."
Producer Matt Tolmach said giving the character her own film would be a coup: " That would be interesting. I'd love to see that, are you kidding? She's such a great character and I would love that. Maybe someday."
Both Marc and Matt are on the "dream team" to work on the Sinister Six and Venom spin-off sequels, which will focus on the super-group of villains drawn from Spider-Man's enemies.
Marc said: "They (film bosses) are in talks with Drew Goddard to put that together. What we discovered more in starting to do the second movie is there are so many characters in the Spider-Man universe that were complex and interesting to warrant their own movies, and the universe is expanding in a way that will accommodate that. It's a lot of amazing things to come, that the fans will really enjoy."
Matt added: "It's time. If you look at what's been happening in the Marvel universe, that's what audiences want. We've been talking about it for a long time and said, 'Let's do this'. T he moment was right. We're working on scripts right now."
Matt also revealed London could feature in one of the upcoming films.
"We have Sinister Six, Venom and a Spider-Man movie in the works. I can pretty much promise you one of them is coming (to London)," he teased.
:: The Amazing Spider-Man 2 opens in cinemas on April 16.